


A Formula, A Phrase Remains

by Artemis_Egeria



Series: Endgame Shmendgame [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers 2.0, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Character Death Fix, Comic Book Science, Domestic Avengers, Dubious Science, Endgame Fix-It, F/M, Fix-It, Gen, I have a lot of headcanons to explain that may not fit neatly into the narrative, Minor Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau, Not Spider-Man: Far From Home Compliant, POV Alternating, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Canon, Scientific Inaccuracies, Shameless Wish Fulfillment, Spoilers, Team as Family, Working Out My Feelings Through Fic, all the bonding none of the drama, expect long author's notes, no research was conducted for this, slight spider-man ffh spoilers, slightly avengers critical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-02-23 19:34:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18708589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis_Egeria/pseuds/Artemis_Egeria
Summary: ENDGAME SPOILERS.Wanda Maximoff has known so much grief in her life that it moves with her like a second skin. But she is a survivor. Moving on is what she does. So she tries to put the latest tragedy behind her by putting all her focus into Avenging and forming a new family for herself.Meanwhile, Princess Shuri is gathering her own team to bring back someone who was lost far too soon.





	1. Epigraph

I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground.  
So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind:  
Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned  
With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned.

Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you.  
Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust.  
A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew,  
A formula, a phrase remains,—but the best is lost.

The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the love,—  
They are gone. They are gone to feed the roses. Elegant and curled  
Is the blossom. Fragrant is the blossom. I know. But I do not approve.  
More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world.

Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave  
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;  
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.  
I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.

\--Dirge Without Music by Edna St. Vincent Millay


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: language in the third section and grief/mourning

The day after the assembled heroes returned and defeated Thanos, no one knew what to do. Makeshift tents had been set up the night before for the injured and to give everyone who did not currently have a home to go to a place to sleep. The woman whose name she learned was Carol took charge of the most urgent tasks while others were too numb to function.

Wanda lingered around the command tent to offer what assistance she could. The man who had found them in Wakanda to send them to New York introduced himself as Doctor Stephen Strange. He directed her efforts to helping soothe the injured and clear debris from the field. During a break, she found Shuri sitting by herself. Keeping busy had prevented Wanda from feeling the worst of her grief, but seeing Shuri brought back all the memories that had only occurred the previous day for her.

Wanda settled beside her, and Shuri offered her a greeting. Before she had decided to speak, the next words out of Wanda’s mouth were, “Can you bring him back?”

Shuri did not answer for some time. “I don’t know, Wanda. My plan was dependent on disconnecting all of Vision’s neurons from the Stone. But the connections were broken before they were re-routed. Okoye told me of his demise and that his body is still in the palace. It will take some time for me to study the damage. I would not attempt it unless I studied the problem from every angle. It is a complex task and failure could result in bringing back someone completely different. I promise to do what I can, though. He helped to save my life.”

Wanda nodded, but a black hole opened within her. Shuri did not give her an absolute no. Still, Wanda knew her luck. Vision was gone, before she even got the chance to tell him that she loved him, and no one could give him back to her. But she had lived through her soul being torn apart before. She would do it again.

***

Wanda approached Shuri as she waited for others to arrive and the meeting to start. Only days had passed since the battle, and they had much to decide before they all went their separate ways, in some cases millions of miles away. Wanda sometimes forgot how young Shuri really was, with her air competence and her technical knowledge, but today she simply looked tired and lost. Any break in activity threatened everyone’s shaky equilibrium and struggle to move forward amid their losses. “How are you adjusting?”

“I have my purpose. I am happy to return to my people and help them move on.” Shuri bowed her head. “We will return when they schedule Tony Stark’s funeral. I wish I could have met him.”

Wanda felt that dealing with her complicated feelings about Stark was best left for another day. “He was difficult, but he did save us all in the end. Pepper said that the funeral would not be for another few weeks.” There was so much to be done between now and then. She paused to gather herself for her next question. “May I come back to Wakanda when I can get away? I need to say good-bye, in case you can’t bring Vision back.”

Shuri did not question Wanda’s pessimism. “Of course, Wanda. I’m sure my brother will welcome you any time.”

“Thank you.” She took a deep breath, willing herself not to cry anymore. Her tears did no one any good. There were tasks to be accomplished. She could not change the past, but she could throw herself into making the world a better place. Use her pain to help others.

***

Unfortunately, the chaos of the world did not pause for their grief and exhaustion to ebb. Wanda, Bucky, and Sam found themselves called away a few days later to answer a new call of duty. With Carol on leave in Louisiana and the others absorbed in their own tasks, the job fell to the three former comrades of Steve Rogers.

They were called in to handle a bank robbery that became a hostage situation. Wanda could feel the man’s desperation roiling in his mind from the police barricade that had been established. His entire being was screaming in agony and rage. There was no intent to hurt anyone, though. She felt sympathy for his situation despite everything, knowing just how similar her own inclinations were at one time.

The police had managed to get him on the phone, but negotiations had ground to a stand-still. His demands kept increasing, and the lead officer, who had just returned from the Snap, had begged for back-up. Sam was currently attempting to talk to the man while Bucky set himself and his rifle up in a high neighboring building as a last resort.

“Hey, man, we just want to talk. You haven’t done anything that you can’t walk away from. Yet. Let these people go, and we can chat.” The man had entered the bank during the lunch hour rush, and there were over thirty people trapped inside. He had forced some of the hostages to barricade the doors and block the windows.

“Talk? Talk! You think talking will do me any good?”

“It’s better than this.”

“Yeah, well, I think I should do the talking. Do you know what I did yesterday?” Sam didn’t try to answer as he sped on past. “I was on the phone for five fucking hours waiting to _talk_ to someone with that new agency for all the returned people. Did I ever talk to someone? No. I got a fucking robot lady telling me that my call was recorded, and someone would get back to me in four to six weeks. That they understood what I was going through and hoped I had a nice day.”

The man paused for breath, clearly overwrought. His volume rose even more on the next volley of his tirade. “She understood. She _understood_. Do you know what happened to me last week? I went to my office like I do every day. I just got married. We were planning a life together. So I went to my office, to do my job and save money to have a family. I started to feel a little weird. Next thing I knew I felt like I was waking up from a nap. I was still at my desk, but all my pictures had changed. There were strange knick-knacks on my desk. My email was open on the screen, but I started to read them, and they were all addressed to someone else. I started to hear screams, and half the office looked at us like we were ghosts.”

The man started to sob. Sam finally tried to break in. “I’m sorry. I won’t tell you that I know what you’re going through, but I disappeared, too. My friend and I will listen to you. You can tell me the whole story. Just let the people inside go first. We can get you a meal, anything you want. We have all the time in the world.”

He seemed to consider the proposal for a moment, his breathing harsh on the other end of the line, before screaming, “No! I’m not an idiot. Someone’s gonna fucking listen to me right now.” Another breath around some hiccups. “That’s just the beginning. Everyone was running around, calling family, sobbing. No one said a word before leaving. I went to the parking lot, but my car wasn’t there. The streets were already jammed, people running red lights, not paying any attention to the road. But I live close, so I walked. Five miles.” They could hear him pacing over the bank’s marble floors. There was also the sound of something clanking.

Wanda began to think that maybe it was time to bring out her telepathic powers to defuse the situation. She never used them these days, but she could feel the terror emanating from the other minds in the lobby. She pushed aside the times she had gone into Vision’s mind at his request, especially the last time. Those moments had no place here. There were too many lives at stake.

But it would be difficult to control things this far away from her subject. Wiggling her fingers at Sam, she raised an eyebrow. He only shook his head. They could give it a little more time.

The man finally started speaking again. “Do you know what I did when I got there? I let myself in, with my key to _my_ house. Everything downstairs was pretty much the same. I didn’t go far, but I was wondering where my wife was. I thought she might have heard the news already. So I went upstairs. The first room I came to used to be a spare bedroom, but what did I find there now? A nursery. I stayed there for a few minutes. I couldn’t believe it. How long had I been gone? My wife wasn’t pregnant. We were always so careful; we weren’t ready to be parents yet.”

His intermittent sobbing had settled into plain tears, though his voice became a croak. “Do you know what I saw next? I went into my bedroom, and my very pregnant wife was sticking her tongue down some other guy’s throat. I finally said her name, and they both screamed and went ghostly pale. I just ran away, sat in a bar, ended up coming to on a park bench with a dozen other people nearby. I finally talked to her the next day, or maybe the day after. She apologized, but she asked me to leave. She just handed me some of my things already packed up. Said she couldn’t take the stress with the baby so close, couldn’t deny her kid its father.” There was a thump, and his voice went much quieter. “I just need something. I just need some way to start over. Please just a little bit of money. I only need a couple thousand.”

Sam kept maximum sympathy in his voice. “We’ll see what we can do to help you. Just let us in, and let these people out.”

Wanda and Sam held their breath waiting for his response. “Okay,” came the broken whisper. A few moments later, they heard the sounds of something heavy being moved. The doors opened, and people shuffled out. The hostages were shaken but unharmed. Once they were all behind the police barricades, Wanda scanned the building to ascertain that the man they were speaking to was the only person in the building. Sam gave Bucky the signal to stand down, and Sam and Wanda approached the bank slowly.

They saw the man collapsed in a heap. When they reached him, Wanda knelt down to his level while Sam kicked his guns away. The man raised his head to look at her, whispering, “I’m going to jail, aren’t I?”

He seemed in control enough that Wanda told him the truth. “Yes, probably, but we can get you help while you wait for your trial.”

“How can anyone help me? They can’t give me back my wife or my job or the five years I lost. Do you have any idea what it feels like to lose everything?”

Wanda smiled bleakly. “Very well actually. I’ve lost everything at least three times. When I was ten, I lost my parents and my home. When I was twenty-two, I lost my twin, who was the only person I loved for many years, and my country. When I was twenty-three, I lost my freedom. And when I was twenty-five, I lost the love of my life, and I greeted death willingly. Just last week, I lost one of my dearest remaining friends. I am not here to make it a competition, but we have all lost greatly. I don’t know how, but life does go on.” The man only sobbed harder at that.

He didn’t resist when Sam helped him to his feet and patted him down to check for any extra weapons. Wanda sensed no ill intent from him, all the fight drained by his rant. She had never felt such emptiness at having done her job.

***

Incidents like the bank robbery kept happening. Those who were coalescing as the new Avengers team agreed that they needed to rotate because such events were so emotionally shattering with their ranks so thin. So two days before Stark’s memorial was scheduled, Carol agreed to fly Wanda to Wakanda. The trip was largely silent. They had fought side by side, but the aftermath of the battle had not given them much time to talk. Wanda was too wrapped up in her own thoughts and grief, and Carol let her lead the conversation when she felt like speaking.

Shuri greeted her in front of the palace. Unwanted hope rose within her that Shuri would have good news, but the princess doused that immediately when she said it would likely take several more months before she had even had an accurate diagnosis of all the damage that had been done to the delicate network of connections inside Vision’s head. She was no closer to a solution than she had been when she and Wanda last spoke.

T’Challa, Shuri, and several members of the Dora Milaje walked with Wanda toward the room where Vision was being kept. When they reached a plain door, T’Challa gestured for Wanda to open it. “Take all the time you need, Miss Maximoff. Someone will wait outside in case you need something.”

“Thank you.” She shivered once she entered and closed the door behind her. Vision’s resting place was kept cool to maintain the tissue condition. Wanda approached his covered body with trepidation. At least the Wakandans had placed him in a comfortable-looking bed, and the curtains were open to let the spring sunshine in. The room was free of dust and bore signs of being well-cared for, with artwork on the walls and tasteful accents everywhere.

Regardless, Wanda was starting to regret the decision to come here. She had worked so hard to reach a level of acceptance about his death. Seeing the shape of his body under the covers brought back the truth of his painful ending. But she could not simply leave him there.

Wanda held her breath as she pulled down the covers to reveal his broken forehead. She kept going until his upper body was exposed. A sob escaped her, and she bent over him. She picked up his hand, pressing kisses to his fingertips as he had so often done to her. Vision’s skin felt cold and stiff under her lips, so unlike the warm, yielding flesh she felt when he was alive. Even worse, there was no hum of his eager mind, no questions and observations just waiting to come to the surface.

Wanda replaced his hand by his side and moved to cup his cheek. She let her other hand settle on his shoulder. “Vizh.” Her voice shook with her anguish, but she continued. He would understand if he were alive. He would listen patiently and wait as long as she needed for her to get her words out, gently holding her hand or smoothing a hand through her hair. “I don’t know if you can hear me somewhere, somehow. I have to believe you can. You deserve to be able to see the whole world.” Tears fell from her eyes and wet his skin. She brushed the moisture away.

Painful as it was, Wanda looked into his blank white eyes again. “I just want you to know that I love you. I’m sorry I never said it while you were alive. I felt it, but I was too afraid that it would break what we had. I couldn’t lose you that way. But you deserve to know now. We have time now.” She had to take a longer pause at that. Bitterness threatened to choke her.

When Wanda could speak again, she moved on to happier news. “We won, you know. Thanos turned to dust. I blasted the sword out of his hand, and we got some new help. You’d like all of them.” She smiled at the thought of Vision introducing himself to Carol and Groot and Stephen, but her joy faded. “We lost people, too. Tony and Natasha died, so that we could win. I wish you could have been there, at the final battle, too. You deserved a chance to fight back.”

Wanda let her hand drift down to his chest, trailing her fingers along the clasp of his cape. “I almost forgot that Steve is planning to go back to 1945 when he returns the Stones to their proper timelines like they promised they would. I didn’t mean to hear his thoughts, but they’ve been so loud. He’s going to get a second chance at living out his life after the war. I try not to feel too jealous, but sometimes I hate him just a little bit. I know I can tell you that and you’d understand. You’d quote me five studies and seven passages from psychology textbooks, telling me we all have thoughts that we can’t control and are not proud of. I wish you could do that now.”

She closed her eyes, willing herself calm. When she re-opened them, her vision was still blurred. “I have to go soon. I know you would want me to move on, and I am trying. It’s not fair though. Just once I wanted to keep someone I love with me. Is that too much to ask?” Hope beyond hope filled her for a moment that he would try to answer her, but Vision’s face remained completely still. Wanda sighed. “You don’t have to answer that. None of this is your fault.”

Bringing her hand back to his face, tracing gently over the lines and ridges there, Wanda willed herself to say a few more words. “The Wakandans have promised to keep you here for as long as it takes. I hope that’s okay. Princess Shuri is doing everything she can to bring you back.” Wanda caressed the strip of vibranium that bisected Vision’s chin. “I want to have hope, but I know the truth.” She paused again, remembering the one conversation they’d had about the likelihood that Vision would outlive everyone he knew. “Maybe that was one more thing we had in common, my Vision. We are both destined to be fundamentally alone.”

“I wish I knew where and how you would want to be buried. You never really talked about your own death. We never thought it was possible.” She forced herself to think of the positive, though black despair continued to put her hard-won peace at risk. “They’ll take care of you here until we know for sure what will happen to you. I promised myself that I won’t visit after this. I’ll never get past this if I keep coming back here. I’ll always love you, but I need to let you go. Please forgive me.” Wanda allowed herself to crawl into the bed with Vision, to cuddle next to him and absorb his feel and smell one last time.

***

Shuri dismissed the Dora as she stood outside the room where Vision lay. It was wrong to eavesdrop, but she could not help herself. She listened to Wanda’s confession. She had not known either of them more than a few hours, but she wished to do more for them. She could do more for them.

Shuri was close to a solution, she knew it. No one had ever done what she was attempting, but with a little help, she was certain that she could revive him. She had not told Wanda about her ideas for a replacement for the Mind Stone or the map she had made of Vision’s consciousness prior to being attacked by that alien with the staff because she did not want to offer false hope. But hearing the depth of Wanda’s feelings poured out in front of her, a new determination started burning within her. Shuri called the Dora back from the end of the hallway. There was much to do if her plan was to be set in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much like Shuri’s plan for Vision, my plan for this fix-it keeps evolving. I am up to having three distinct parts planned plus a possible sequel afterwards, spanning 1-3 years in story time. The problem is my ambitious plans tend to peter out about half way through. But I will make a sincere effort to follow through. I also still plan to finish my other WIPs, but I make no promises as to when. This story is the only one filling my head right now. 
> 
> With this chapter, I wanted to try to explain how Wanda seemed so at peace and accepting and Vision’s death at Tony’s funeral, when for her the events of Infinity War only took place days or weeks earlier. So I went with the idea that she was convinced he could not be revived, but at least had gotten a little closure by explaining the end of Endgame to him.
> 
> The overall arc I have planned will be a long journey, but I hope it is worthwhile. I plan to include basically every element that I would love to see out of the MCU going forward, regardless of the direction that it actually takes. I am not sure Marvel will give me what I want, so I will give it to myself. 
> 
> Also, it seems like almost everyone writing Scarlet Vision fix-its has the same basic idea of how to bring Vision back, with Shuri saving the day, but I still want to contribute my own version. The similarities just convince me of the strong canonical support and rightness of this path. I am choosing to validate what Infinity War set up. Besides I don’t think you can have enough fix-its. We need to drown out canon somehow. 
> 
> If anyone has any prompts or requests for what they would like to see, I will consider them, but I cannot promise to include them because my muse is very flighty.
> 
> Any kudos, comments, or constructive criticism are always deeply appreciated.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuri seeks a solution to Vision's missing Mind Stone.

Shuri took a moment to appreciate the fireworks display marking the one-year anniversary of The Return. Wakanda had been fortunate. With her mother and M’Baku’s joint leadership and its wealth and technology, Wakanda had escaped the ravages that much of the rest of the world suffered. Its people carried on, but there was still suffering and upheaval when so many of their loved ones disappeared and returned years later. Things were only now beginning to return to normal. There was much to celebrate.

But Shuri still had an important task to achieve. With that in mind, she entered her lab and examined the simulation that she had left running while she went about her day. She sighed when she saw that the power output was still only at approximately fifty percent of the Mind Stone’s power. That would not do. She was prepared to accept ninety to ninety-five percent. She and her partners agreed that would be an acceptable substitute for a cosmic entity of untold power. Though Shuri privately believed she could reach at least ninety-eight percent power.

She set such thoughts aside for another time. Recreating a power source for Vision was only one part of the problem. There was still the so-far intractable problem of repairing the delicate network of wiring that formed his synthetic neurons and ensuring that the map she had made of his consciousness actually preserved his memories and personhood. Shuri was not the only one frustrated by their lack of concrete progress over the past year.

Helen Cho and Bruce Banner were also deeply invested in their project. They were now working together in Bruce’s gamma lab. After returning when the Snap was reversed, Helen had thrown her whole being into the reconstruction of the Cradle, all versions of which had been destroyed when the Avengers’ compound had been destroyed. She had had to rebuild everything from scratch, based only her old notes and blueprints. Bruce had set aside all his other research to consider the best way to repair Vision’s broken neurons to no avail. He and Shuri had worked together to model how her copy of Vision’s consciousness might interact with a new set of neurons.

Every time the three of them thought they were close to a breakthrough that only ended in failure, they were glad that they had not told Wanda of their project.

When Shuri looked up from her most recent simulation, a blinking light indicated a call coming through for her. Bruce and Helen’s faces hovered on the screen in front of her while Shuri projected an image of Vision’s body between them. Without preamble, Helen nodded toward the image and asked, “Have you made any progress?”

“Not yet,” Shuri responded. “The model for the power output of my stone is still far below what we require. I may have to start from the beginning again. How is the Cradle?”

Helen frowned. “Not very good. We are still rebuilding the frame. It is delicate work, and there have been complications.”

Bruce chimed in, “And the modeling for the synaptic framework we discussed is all over the place. So far there’s only a ten percent success rate for the complete restoration of his memories.”

“Understood. Until next week then.” They disconnected without ceremony. They knew how to get in touch whenever necessary. Shuri returned to studying her diagram of the replacement she had been developing for the Mind Stone. She could not completely replicate the intricacies of its structure, but what she’d been developing should give her more power than her model was showing. Shuri allowed herself only a moment of defeat before she rolled her shoulders back, saved the simulation in her folder of past attempts, and started over.

***

T’Challa was in the middle of explaining his latest diplomatic mission when Shuri had a revelation. She shouted, “Excuse me, brother,” and ran back down the hall the way they had come. She did not wait for his reaction; T’Challa was used to this.

When she pulled up the current simulation, it was only reading sixty percent power, as she expected. It had been weeks since her last real communication with Helen and Bruce, aside from a few brief messages. None of them had had any significant progress to report. She couldn’t wait to tell them what she found.

First, she had to ensure that she was correct. She pulled up her current 3D model in a hologram that floated at eye level. She rearranged some of the power nodes, changed the simulated material, and input her new figures to account for a different power source.

When she set the new simulation running, she bounced in her chair and spun it around. She was right. She just knew it.

When the simulation finished running, she read the power levels with the thrill of discovery. Ninety-seven percent. She couldn’t help but let out a whoop when she double-checked all the figures. And there was still time to try for that extra one percent while the other parts of their solution came together. She checked her watch to see what time it was in New York. It should be an acceptable time to call Helen and Bruce.

When Helen answered the call, she caught onto Shuri’s excitement almost immediately. “News?”

Shuri could feel the grin overtaking her face. “Ninety-seven.”

Helen broke into a wide smile that matched hers and looked behind her. “Bruce, come here. Shuri’s done it.”

Bruce came into view, his own beaming smile growing. “You have the power source?”

“Yes, I do. The model, at least. Building the prototype should be much simpler.” There was nothing her lab could not make once she had the plans fully laid out.

“You’ll keep us on our toes.” Helen’s tone was full of awe at her accomplishment. Shuri felt a rush of pride. It was not easy to impress Helen.

Shuri shook her head in response. It would be dangerous if one them got too far ahead and pushed the others to rashness. “We must not rush. There is still much more left to be done, but I thought you both would like to hear.”

Helen took in her words attentively. “You’re right, Shuri.” Her smile leaked through once more. “But this is wonderful news!” Helen tapped her chin in thought. “Once you have the physical model, could you come to New York for a few days? I would love to get your input on the Cradle.”

“Yes, of course. The lab is running smoothly, and the stone should be ready by next week.”

“Good, good.” Bruce rubbed his hands together. “Carol’s birthday is next week, too. We’re throwing a surprise party for her when the full team holds its quarterly meeting.” Shuri was reminded that the Avengers now consisted of the core group in New York and others who only joined at certain times, like Scott and Hope in San Francisco and her brother in Wakanda. Then there were those who functioned more as consultants, like Bruce and Rhodey, who had returned to Washington to support the Avengers from within the government. Those who only took part in missions occasionally still needed to maintain their training and bond with each other to prevent another falling out that would destroy the whole team.

Shuri was pulled from her reflections by a new thought that made her laugh. “Does the captain even like surprises?” She’d only met Carol a few times, most of them in combat situations, when she displayed a laser-focus that did not seem to leave room to enjoy unexpected parties.

Bruce laughed as well. “She’ll like this one.”

***

Shuri called up the map of Vision’s neurons that she had been playing with. She had studied it from every angle, but she did not think there was anything else to be learned from it until they could actually rebuild his physical body. The model soon became nothing more meaningless lines before her blurring vision.

She was about to turn it off to start fresh the next day when she reconsidered an old idea she’d had when they were just starting this process. No idea was too outlandish not to try in the name of scientific inquiry and achieving her goals. So Shuri magnified Vision’s neural network until it filled her entire lab.

The billions of connections glowed all around her like a sky full of miniature constellations. She walked among her model, hoping that some new insight would come to her from this vantage point. She studied the glowing lines for some time. Then, she saw it. There were subtle differences in the neurons laced throughout his brain.

She would have to talk to Bruce about this when she traveled to New York. Nothing in his past notes or their joint research explained the discrepancies. She hoped that this discovery was the key to unlocking their success, rather than proof that they had failed somewhere along the way and would be unable to resurrect their fallen comrade.

Shuri pushed such thoughts aside. This was not the end. If working with the Avengers had taught her anything, it was that nothing was truly impossible with the right combination of will, intelligence, and technology. Powering down the simulation, she decided that the rest could wait for another day.

***

The day before Shuri was to leave for New York, the design group finished several copies of Vision’s replacement stone. She would have to come up with a proper name for it, but that could wait until after they had run the proper tests to determine it functioned as they required.

After running a few initial tests, she decided that her creation had withstood enough scrutiny to show Helen and Bruce in New York. They were great partners to bounce ideas off of. And they did not mind her humor, particularly in moments where tension was high and they all needed a break.

Shuri gathered her notes and all the supplies she would need in New York. She was looking forward to seeing everyone again. The one part of the trip she feared was speaking to Wanda. Shuri hated lying to her directly. It was not in her nature to deny the truth of the situation. Knowledge and openness were keys to proper scientific discovery, but they had gone too far to tell Wanda the truth before they knew Vision’s fate.

It would be difficult to avoid her, seeing as she was staying at the Avengers’ mansion with her brother. At least Wanda was not overly interested in scientific pursuits and would likely not question her presence too deeply. Shuri just hoped that the full gathering of the Avengers’ team, along with Carol’s birthday celebration, would distract her further. The chaos of their infrequent meetings provided decent cover.

When Shuri finished packing for the trip and completing the necessary tasks that would keep her lab running over the next week, she allowed herself to become distracted by the new problem of connecting her stone to Vision’s neural network.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case it wasn’t clear, this chapter starts in April 2024. I know that Marvel people have said that the timeline in the movies does not necessarily line up with the release dates, but most of the time markers given within the movies match well with the release dates. So I’m assuming the bulk of Endgame took place in April 2023. 
> 
> The second time watching Endgame, I noticed that Wakanda seems to be in very good shape by the end, so I’m assuming Ramonda survived the Snap, and she, M’Baku, and Okoye kept everything together during those five years.
> 
> Also, at the end of AoU, we see Helen Cho moving her equipment into the Avengers’ compound, so I am assuming that she stayed there through the Snap. I’m just going to assume that she did not survive the Snap. Because the compound was pretty much completely destroyed during Endgame, I think it’s safe to assume that all her work, aside from back up notes she had, was lost as well. 
> 
> I also have the Avengers moving into a mansion in New York City as in the comics. They could theoretically rebuild the compound in upstate New York, but I think it makes more sense to start fresh. They could also leave New York entirely, but that just feels wrong to me. I am using the address that I found for the mansion in the comics, 890 Fifth Avenue, which is right next to Central Park.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read, left kudos, and/or commented. I really appreciate it. This chapter has a little bit of fluff because I can’t help myself, and also some angst and a new development in the quest to bring Vision back. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I’m including some characters in this chapter that I’m not really familiar with beyond a little bit of research; that’s why they’re not in it for very long.

_“Wake up, Wanda. It’s time to leave now.”_

_“Don’t wanna go,” she mumbled into her pillow._

_“Neither do I, but we have no choice, unfortunately.” A gentle hand nudged her shoulder. She only burrowed more deeply into the pillow. The hand moved across her back rubbing soothing circles there. “What if I offered you the proper incentive?”_

_“There’s nothing you can offer me to make me leave this bed.”_

_A deep chuckle was his only response. She finally rolled over to look at him. Vision looked at her with fond amusement, with just the spark of a challenge in his eyes. “I believe I can think of something.” Vision reached for her and drew her into a kiss. At first his lips just barely skimmed Wanda’s before he deepened the kiss. She started to wrap her arms around him when he phased away from her._

_“Vizh!” He grinned down at her from where he was now standing at the edge of the bed. “That was a mean trick. You really can’t convince me to get up now.”_

_“My apologies.” She rolled her eyes at his unrepentant tone. He regarded her with faux thoughtfulness. “Perhaps I have to take matters into my own hands.” The next thing Wanda knew Vision had scooped her up in his arms. Her arms automatically went around his neck._

_“You didn’t take_ matters _into your hands. You took_ me _into your hands.” She tried to maintain a put-upon expression as he carried her into the bathroom, but she couldn’t resist cuddling closer to him._

_Vision grinned more widely. “Well, you are what_ matters _most to me, so I believe it works out to the same idea.” He chuckled again, clearly impressed by his joke. She shook her head at him, but pulled him into a kiss._

Wanda stretched out her arm only to run into her bedside lamp. She sighed as she sat up in her narrow twin bed. The others had teased her for her choice when they started setting up the mansion, but they stopped when she quietly admitted that she didn’t want to wake up reaching across a larger bed to find it empty.

She recognized when she wouldn’t be able to fall back to sleep. She walked downstairs into the kitchen and found Bucky also awake. The red light of the clock on the microwave glared at them, announcing that it was 3:38 am. He nodded at her. “Nightmare?”

She shook her head. “No, good dream this time. You?”

“Yeah.” He looked away from her, peering out the window, even though it was too dark to see anything. “The good ones can be worse.”

There was nothing much to say to that. She put the tea kettle on to give her hands any way to keep busy. “Want to talk about it?” She had to at least ask, though Bucky didn’t seem to be in the mood tonight.

He finally looked back at her. “No. You?” Wanda shook her head again. This was how their middle of the night conversations usually went. Neither of them typically cared to discuss their dreams, but as she had found when Vision sat with her after her brother’s death, sometimes it was nice just to have company. Someone who understood insomnia at their core. The very thought sent a pang straight through Wanda’s heart, but Wanda swallowed her tears. She refused to be ruled by her grief forever.

The room gradually lightened around them as they remained in companionable silence until it was time to get ready for their morning run. Wanda was grateful for the opportunity to move, to focus purely on putting one foot in front of the other, to be pushed to her physical limits. Today was sprints, and Carol always set a brutal pace. Wanda leaned into the brief forgetfulness.

There were many groans as the team climbed the stairs to their bedrooms after their session finished. Wanda relished the feeling of the hot water raining down on her sore muscles.

Wanda examined herself in the mirror after wiping the steam from it. She continued running a towel through her newly redyed brown hair. She had kept the red for a while, in memory of Nat and the happy times she had had rendezvousing with Vision. But no hair color could bring back her loved ones, and in the end, it felt right to go dark again. She swept her hair over her shoulder to get a better look at her face.

Dark circles stood out underneath her eyes, and her face was still thinner than was probably ideal. All her determination to move on could not grant her easy sleep or a healthy appetite. Her insomnia was worse than ever. Every moment spent awake in the middle of the night reminded her that the people who usually comforted her were gone. She was always grateful for her new team, but she missed Natasha’s matter-of-fact willingness to destroy her in training to take her mind off things and Steve’s steadfast, comforting presence. She avoided even a thought of Vision as much as possible. There was always Sam, who had said his door was always open, but he had enough troubles co-leading the team with Carol.

Wanda shook her head. There was nothing to be done about her losses, but she could get dressed and make herself a sandwich. When she finally emerged from her room, she found Carol walking toward her. “Good. You’re done. Tony’s lawyers are here. They want to go over the bequests from Tony’s will.”

Wanda took a moment to process the words, blinking at her. She would have assumed Tony Stark’s estate was long settled, but she supposed with the ongoing chaos even Stark’s influence and wealth could not make the system move faster. “I’ll pass. I’m sure he didn’t leave me anything.”

Carol shrugged. “They specifically requested you.”

“Fine.” She followed Carol down to one of the larger sitting rooms on the first floor. The remaining Avengers were seated while several men and women in immaculate suits stood in front of them.

The lawyers described Tony’s final wishes. There was the trust fund set up to help fund the Avengers for the foreseeable future, various gear that Tony had been designing for each member, and a number of small trinkets bestowed on Thor, who had come in specially with the Guardians for the full team training using Stormbreaker, and Rhodes. By the end of the meeting, there was only a small box left on the table in front of the lawyers. The one who had been explaining each gift said, “This is for Wanda Maximoff.”

The lawyer tentatively handed her a box and a key, attempting an ingratiating smile in Wanda’s direction. She only nodded politely at him. The box contained flash drives and a pile of papers with incomprehensible scribblings. One piece of bright red paper stuck out. She read the contents with growing dread and hope.

_Maximoff,_

_I’d bet my new house that you won’t expect anything from my will, in the event I don’t give this to you myself. I know we never got along and never got a chance to mend fences. Maybe we were never going to, but Vision finally convinced me that it was worth trying._

_That’s the real reason I’m giving this to you. I’m sorry we never managed to put him back together. First, we were afraid of failure, and then we were selfish, too caught up in our own lives and our own problems. The world’s been a mess. You’ll have a hard time believing how much. It’s nothing more than an excuse, but it’s all I have to say for myself. I was more aware of how human Vision had become than almost anyone else. I should have pushed Bruce harder to try again._

_When Morgan was born, I realized how unfair I had been to Vision. At the time, I was still too focused on how he wasn’t JARVIS anymore. I didn’t appreciate all he had become until he started running away with you. By then, it felt too late to form the kind of bond we could have had._

_I hope these notes go some way to making up for the past. They’re everything I know about creating JARVIS and Ultron. All the notes I made when we created Vision the first time. I also included some new ideas on how nanotechnology might be helpful in the process of repairing him. If you’re reading this, hopefully that means we won and someone can help you put this into practice. As of this writing, Vision’s body was still in Wakanda. They agreed to hold it in case the princess ever returned. She’s your best chance if I’m gone._

_I wish you and Vision the best of luck. There’s another letter addressed to him at the bottom of this box if you’re able to revive him._

_Well, I’ve used up my supply of sentimentality for the month. Just remember, if you and loverboy manage to have a little bundle of joy of your own, you’re obligated to name him, or her, after me. Tony or Toni works equally well._

_You know who I am._

Tears were streaming down her face by the time she finished. She’d never have imagined that Tony Stark would make her cry with anything other than tears of rage. The others were all politely looking away from her while Carol handed her a tissue. With a few closing remarks, the lawyers left the room, evidently glad to have completed their task.

She just wished that she would have received this months ago, when she still had some hope that Shuri could revive Vision. The princess had told her that they had tried everything. She offered to hold him in the same room indefinitely, in case some new breakthrough came along, but Wanda declined. With everything that made Vision _Vision_ gone and the smartest woman in the world out of ideas, she did not see the point in maintaining the charade.

She’d asked Shuri to give him a proper ceremony and let him rest in peace, and Shuri had promised she would. Still, she could at least show the notes to the princess. Wanda knew she was coming to New York tomorrow.

***

The first training session with the full team provided a welcome change of pace. Wanda loved when everyone came together, offering new tips and training styles that she didn’t often get to utilize. In the background, she saw T’Challa facing Peter Parker in hand-to-hand combat. She made a note to get some pointers later; she always admired his grace and strength. She didn’t have much more time to muse as she fended off Okoye’s staff with her own. The weapon felt clumsy in her hands, but the one rule for days such as these was that the powered needed to rely on more mundane skills, so as not to receive an unfair advantage in the fight to remain standing. The first fall meant you were out for good.

Wanda spun around only to meet Nebula’s batons. The blue woman’s blow hit at just the right angle and speed to push the staff from Wanda’s hands. She was forced to drop into a crouch to avoid Nebula’s next attack. As Wanda fluidly rose to her feet again, thanking Sam’s insistence on incorporating a bit of flexibility work into her training, she did manage to sweep her foot behind Nebula’s legs, dropping her to the ground. Nebula snarled at her, but the expression lacked any real malice.

In the free for all, Wanda quickly moved onto the next target. There was always a healthy reward for the last one standing. Hope had already dispatched Scott, who was good-naturedly cheering others on from the sidelines. Wanda had had to look away when she also tenderly helped him to his feet. Peter Quill, Bucky, Mantis, Peter Parker, Stephen, and T’Challa were out too. At the far side of the gym, Okoye suddenly brought down Valkyrie. Rhodes and Sam were fighting hand to hand. Carol was fighting Thor, their powers difficult to turn off but not using their full strength.

By the time ten more minutes had passed, Thor and Sam were also relegated to the sidelines. It was down to Okoye, Hope, Rhodes, Wanda, and Carol. Okoye and Hope were already facing off, Hope dodging nimbly away from Okoye’s staff, trying to tire her out. Carol was surveying their fight, presumably strategizing on who she would rather challenge. That left Wanda and Rhodes. Wanda approached him slowly. She and Rhodes maintained a cordial working relationship, but they had never been that close even before the break in the Avengers. His connection with Stark too prominent, no matter how unfair that may have been, as she had come to appreciate his much-needed common sense and ever-present sarcasm. Rhodes appeared to experience a similar hesitation.

But this was war. Wanda picked up a fallen staff to match the one in Rhodes’s hands. They gave each other a few experimental parries, testing and backing off. After a few minutes of that, Rhodes landed a solid blow on Wanda’s back, but she didn’t fall. She managed her own hit on his side. Out of the corner of her eye, Wanda saw Carol and Okoye teaming up against Hope. She was soon down. Carol and Okoye immediately turned to face each other.

Rhodes took advantage of Wanda’s distraction with another strike to her legs. Wanda brought her attention back to the moment, but it was too late. Rhodes knocked her down easily, hand-to-hand combat still not her greatest strength. She accepted his hand up with a grateful nod and went to join the others. Several minutes later, Carol sat next to her, leaving only Okoye and Rhodes.

The crowd grew absorbed in watching them fight. They were both fiercely competitive and felt honor-bound to represent Wakanda and the United States Air Force admirably. They danced and dodged around each other, barely making contact. After several long minutes, Okoye finally began to advance on Rhodes in earnest. Her staff was almost moving fast enough to blur before their eyes. She was preparing a final strike when Rhodes backed away just enough to cause her to overbalance.

Okoye was on her feet again before Rhodes could react. “Well done, Colonel.” Okoye’s congratulations were sincere, but she already appeared to be calculating her next attack. “It will not happen again.”

Rhodes nodded at her, one officer to another. “I wouldn’t expect it to, General.”

With a final round of congratulations all around, the sparring broke up and everyone went their separate ways before the next session.

***

Wanda hid behind a couch with Bucky and Sam as Stephen turned off the lights while they waited for Carol. Hope had offered to take her out while they decorated and prepared the food. They all remained very quiet when the front door opened. Hope asked to sit in the lounge. Their footsteps grew closer, and Carol turned on the lights. They all jumped up, shouting “Happy birthday!” and blowing kazoos.

Carol glared at them before grinning wildly. “You got me.” Finally, Maria stepped out from the corner of the room. Carol shrieked and ran toward her. They embraced and kissed each other passionately, heedless of the others in the room.

They only broke apart when Monica came up and tapped Carol on the shoulder. “Hey, Auntie Carol.”

Carol turned, leaving one arm around Maria and pulling Monica in with her free arm. “You’ve been gone too long, Lieutenant Trouble.”

“Someone has to pick up the slack with you being down here.” Monica had taken up Carol’s cosmic responsibilities when she had decided to stay on Earth for a time to help the Avengers regroup. After absorbing the energy of the Snap, she wanted to do her part in following in Carol’s footsteps. She was finally fulfilling her dream of glowing and flying. It was a source of endless teasing between them.

With the reunions out of the way, the party really got going. Everyone loaded up their plates with food and mingled among those they rarely got to see. Someone set up some music, and there was arguing as they fought for which genre to be played, eventually settling on shuffle.

Later in the night, Wanda approached Shuri, Bruce, and Helen, whose heads were bent close together. They looked up at the sound of her footsteps, jumping slightly. “Nice to see you all. How’s your project going?” She knew Shuri, Helen, and Bruce had been working closely together for more than a year, but she never was able to get any details from them.

Shuri looked unaccountably nervous. “There have been some promising new developments, but it is not complete yet.”

“That’s good to hear.” Wanda could not understand why the three scientists were glancing back and forth at each other, but she ignored the vague unease in the back of her mind in favor of doing what she set out to do. “Shuri, may I speak to you in private for a minute.”

Shuri nodded. Wanda led her to a quiet corner, moving past Sam who dancing smoothly in the middle of the room and trying to draw in as many others as he could. Meanwhile, Mantis and Nebula were talking to Bucky in the opposite corner while Valkyrie and Thor were reminiscing amid a drinking contest. Wanda decided to simply go for it. “It’s about Vision.”

“What would you like to discuss about him?”

“Yesterday, Stark’s lawyers gave us the gifts that we received in his will. He gave me all his notes from when he and Bruce created Vision the first time. He said he had some new ideas too.” Wanda’s voice began to fail her. “I know you said there was nothing to be done, but could you give it one more look?”

“Of course, Wanda. I am happy to try again.” There was an odd light in Shuri’s eyes, but Wanda didn’t question it. She could not afford to get her hopes up after all this time.

“Thank you. Come by my room before you leave, and I will have the things for you.”

They rejoined the party. Sam pulled Wanda into a dance. She was not in the mood, but Sam’s enthusiasm was infectious. Wanda soon found herself getting absorbed in the beat, dancing loosely with Sam, Carol, Maria, Bucky, and Peter Quill. There was much laughter to go around.

The party carried on late into the night. Everyone grew looser and more eager as the music shifted among the various tastes within the mansion. It wasn’t until Stephen insisted that everyone needed to get to bed in order to be ready for another full day of training that the giggling masses moved upstairs to their bedrooms.

***

A few days later, Wanda entered the kitchen to find Cassie Lang, who was visiting with Scott and Hope, eating a cookie. “Hello, Cassie.”

Cassie’s face broke into a beaming smile when she saw Wanda. “Hi!” Cassie’s enthusiasm always warmed her, who also enjoyed seeing the girl. Scott had once told her that she was Cassie’s favorite Avenger, and Wanda could never forget that Cassie liked her when the rest of the world didn’t.

“Enjoying your stay here?”

“Oh, yeah. Do you think you could put in a good word for me? I want to train to be an Avenger. I keep telling my dad and mom and Jim that I’m ready, but they won’t listen.” Cassie had discovered that she now had the ability to grow and shrink like Scott after the second Snap. It had occurred just as she was handling some spare Pym particles that Scott had left behind in his wagon of possessions. Scott and the rest of the Avengers had been trying to help Cassie handle her new powers without becoming a member of the team.

Wanda had been on Cassie’s side of this conversation too often when she first joined the team not have sympathy for her position. Cassie was not a child, and it was galling to be treated as one when you weren’t. But she’d also had enough talks with Scott on the other side of the equation and enough experience with growing up too young to believe that she should appreciate her childhood.

“Cassie, I’d be happy to help train you, but you have all the time in the world to be an Avenger. You’re sixteen. You have a few more years to enjoy yourself before you have to worry about saving the world. Besides,” she leaned in confidentially across the counter, “you’d also have to convince Sam and Carol, and they’re not that easy.”

Cassie frowned at her response, but quickly recovered. “Could you teach me how to throw away that tank like you did a few weeks ago?”

Wanda sent the girl a mock glare. “ _That_ was supposed to be top secret.” A warlord had gathered an army and a number of stolen weapons and was marching on a much smaller neighbor when the Avengers were called in. She and Carol had each dispatched one of the tanks while the others had focused on negotiating with the leadership. Wanda was proud of their operation resulting in not a single shot being fired. It was the first time Wanda’s full powers had been drawn on since the final battle against Thanos. It had been both exhilarating and terrifying in a way. She was still not fully recovered from the strain. But they had tried to hush the whole thing up as much as possible to prevent further destabilization in the region.

“Sorry,” she said, not sounding particularly apologetic, “I begged my dad to tell me about the latest mission.”

“Well, it was pretty awesome.” Wanda grinned at her, and Cassie giggled. “Just don’t tell all your friends at school.”

“I won’t.” Cassie paused for a minute and looked at her hopefully. “But since I already know will you tell me more?”

Wanda was easily convinced, glad to have someone she could share stories with who didn’t already know everything. “Sure, let’s go to the library. I’ll tell you all about it.” Cassie bounced on her toes and followed Wanda eagerly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems to me like the energy pulse they mentioned several times in Endgame is a good way to introduce other enhanced individuals, so I used it as the method of both Monica and Cassie gaining their powers.
> 
> I am under the impression that Thor can now summon the Bifrost, and that is how he brought the Guardians to Earth quickly and easily. 
> 
> Also, I imagine the hand to hand sparring could go a number of different ways, particularly if the enhanced were focused on not using their powers, so I just picked one outcome. 
> 
> Finally, I forgot to mention this earlier, but if any part of the story is ever unclear or confusing, please feel free to ask what is going on, and I will be happy to answer/make edits to the chapter. I have a lot of ideas built up in my head that I may sometimes forget to actually convey on the page.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuri and her team finally make some more progress.

On the last day of the meeting, Shuri, Cassie, and Peter, who was still only called in for emergency situations or training, had lessons in hand-to-hand combat with Sam, Carol, and Wanda. Shuri was well trained herself, but she would never turn down learning from other experts. Sam and Wanda demonstrated some moves that they had spent years practicing after the fight in Germany. Carol ran them through some conditioning drills from her Air Force days.

Next, the full-fledged Avengers had their three pupils practice on their, making slight corrections to their form. After a few rounds of practice, they began to supervise sparring between the teens. Shuri was gratified to find that she was the fastest to pick up on these new skills, but she was happy to offer advice to Peter and Cassie. It was rare that she had the opportunity to be around people her own age.

By the time they finished practicing, they were all dripping with sweat. The teens returned to their guest rooms to shower before meeting in the library for an epic round of Monopoly. They were joined by Scott, Sam, Wanda, and Carol. The game lasted long into the night with much laughter and trash-talking all around.

***

Shuri had welcomed the break from the bleakness of constant disappointment in their quest to bring Vision back, but she was glad to be back in her lab. Their efforts were finally bearing more fruit.

Tony’s notes on the process of bringing Vision to life provided the breakthroughs they’d all been looking for over the next month. His developments in nanotechnology provided the missing piece they’d been searching for to aid in his physical repair and had given Bruce an idea on how to combine them with a particle of his own design that should help the vibranium-cell bonding process.

Meanwhile, Helen’s progress in rebuilding the Cradle continued apace. She and her team had almost completed the entire structure. Shuri had seen the progress herself and offered a few suggestions. Then, there was only the calibration and testing to complete. Not that there was a true way to test what they were trying to achieve.

Bruce was the next one to provide good news. Shuri accepted the call from his lab eagerly. “Hello, Bruce. Shouldn’t you be celebrating the day that your government uses as an excuse to cover all its crimes?”

Bruce only shook his head; he never countered Shuri’s criticisms of the United States. He simply moved on to the task at hand. “Hey, Shuri. This was way more important. Part two of the puzzle may be complete. Of the last ten simulations I’ve run with Tony’s data factored in, eight suggest that he’ll regain his full set of memories.” Knowing the complexity of what they hoped to accomplish, they all had to contend with higher error rates than they would have preferred.

“Have you told Helen yet?” She knew that Helen would redouble her efforts to finish the testing on the Cradle with this news. In fact, she wondered why Helen had not joined the call.

“Not yet, she’s on vacation with her family while they’re visiting the States. You should meet her nephew Amadeus. He might give you a run for your money.”

Shuri smirked at Bruce. He would not bait her that easily. “I always look forward to some good competition,” she said loftily. She immediately wrote down his name to do some more research on him.

Bruce grinned at her. “I didn’t doubt you for a minute, Shuri.” I’ll tell Helen the news when she comes back to the lab next week.”

“Good. It will not be much longer now.” Satisfaction surged within her. The pieces were falling into place. This would work. She just knew it. It was a monumental task to bring someone back to life, but with all three of them pursuing the goal, they would not fail.

***

Shuri’s research on Vision had to take a backseat temporarily while she was forced to address a crisis in the world’s annual production of corn, wheat, and many other key crops. The return of so many people the previous year had stretched the world’s harvests and resources. But the situation was even worse now. The upheaval in the soil caused a forty percent lower yield for the year so far. The crops that were not due to be harvested yet were only at thirty-two percent of their usual progress.

Shuri’s lab offered its own genetically modified crops that would grow at twice the rate and offer one point five times the yield. Shuri herself traveled to key areas to monitor their growth. The people she met were frightened. After so many cataclysms, any damage to their infrastructure threatened renewed chaos.

In some areas, civil unrest did break out when livelihoods were threatened and some hoarded their good fortune, but Shuri also saw the triumph of humanity. It validated her belief in improvement. Where people had little, they largely still shared all they could. Where people had more success carrying on, they taught others how to go on. Where people began to lose hope, new communities lifted each other up.

***

When the crop situation was stabilized, Shuri gratefully returned to her lab. She was met with several messages from Bruce and Helen. The testing on the Cradle was as complete as it was going to be. Bruce had also finished synthesizing the cells that would fortify Vision’s body.

Shuri double-checked the results of the tests that the other technicians in her lab had run on the stone that she had dubbed the solar jewel while she was away. It bore many of the same properties that the Mind Stone had. She watched the video that had been recorded of a beam from the jewel cutting down targets in a field outside the palace. The power levels remained constant throughout these experiments, regardless of the level of sunlight outside. It should still be enough to power Vision’s body.

By the time the late summer sun was beginning to set earlier in the day, the Cradle was complete. The solar jewel had been tested to the limits it could without Vision’s input. Bruce and Tony’s hybrid nanocells were ready. Shuri had ensured that Vision’s body was still in a state that could be repaired.

All that remained was to admit what they had done to Carol and Sam. The scientists needed their help if they were to transport the Cradle to Wakanda. Carol accepted their request for a conference call readily, but with a hint of confusion. When they were all together, Shuri said, “We believe we can bring Vision back.”

Sam said, “Vizh?” His mouth was hanging open.

“Wanda’s Vision?” Carol, who of course had no knowledge of the man outside her conversations with the others, asked.

“Yes,” Shuri answered decisively. She switched her gaze between the two leaders, wondering which stage of shock would come next.

“And Wanda does not know about this.” It was not a question. Carol’s mouth pressed into a disapproving line. Shuri did not quail under her displeasure.

“We have worked on nothing else for almost a year and a half. We were not certain that we could bring him back until recently. We thought it would be cruel to offer hope and then take it away.”

“I get it,” Sam said. “But why are you telling us now?”

Bruce replied, “We need your help. The Cradle is here in New York.” He gestured at the lab behind Helen and him. “And Vision and Shuri are in Wakanda. We need transport there, transport that won’t shake too much and undo all our work.”

Carol grinned. “I can help you with that.” They worked out the details of when Carol would pilot a Quinjet to Wakanda. Their path decided, they ended the call.

Shuri leaned back in her chair and put her feet up before starting her simulations again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter Wanda gets a chance to have an important conversation with someone.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda finally gets some answers about the five years she missed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This quick update is brought to you by my renewed anger over Endgame. This chapter is one of the reasons I used the “Shameless Wish Fulfillment” tag. I think we were robbed of a conversation like this in Endgame, so I made it myself, time travel mechanics aside. I wrote this with the assumption that Old Steve did not stick around in the main timeline after giving the shield to Sam. 
> 
> There is a brief reference to Spider-Man: Far From Home spoilers, but this story is not compliant with the movie and ignores the timeline.

Wanda sat in Central Park on a warm summer afternoon, as she was wont to do. Golden light flowed through the leafy shade like syrup. She let the peaceful atmosphere and warbling of nearby birds wash over her when her solitude was interrupted by an old man joining her on her bench.

It took her a moment to recognize who it was, but she could feel the familiar mind without using her powers. “I never expected to see you again, Steve.”

“I didn’t expect to come back, but I regret not speaking to you before I left.” He smiled at her, something tentative in the same boyishly charming expression he’d always had. “How are you, Wanda?”

“I am well, as much as can be expected.” It was not a lie, precisely. She had a home. She had those she considered friends and those she considered family. Very few people hated her, at least openly. She had a purpose. It was a good life, far better than most were granted. But she could not escape the holes in her soul that were the deaths of her parents and brother, her lost teammates, and Vision.

“I read the newspaper before I came to meet you. I read about how you and Bucky brought down that group of former SI employees that was trying to fool people into believing they were heroes. Good work.”

“Thank you.” She did smirk a bit at Steve’s obvious pride; she did consider it one of her finest achievements as an Avenger. She and Bucky had worked as a great sleuthing team and discovered the entire network on their own. Untold damage was saved when Wanda and Bucky stopped them before their plan could come to fruition.

A new thought came to her, and she crossed her arms, staring Steve down. “How did you even know to find me here?”

“Oh, a little birdie told me.” Wanda groaned at the old pun. That was one of the great joys of the new team, they had moved onto other teasing insults. Steve immediately turned more serious. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

“You too.” She was glad to see her old friend, even though she could feel resentment bubbling up within her. “Where are you going next?”

“I don’t know myself. I was more worried about finding you now that I built up the courage to face you.”

Wanda bit her lip. She never expected to be able to ask Steve about this. With Tony and Natasha gone, there was no one she felt she could talk to. She could interact with Bruce and Rhodey, but she couldn’t face them with this. Besides, it was all over, but Steve, who had fought almost as hard as she had, was now right here. She just had to ask him. “Why didn’t you even try?” Her voice broke into a sob and he handed her a cloth handkerchief.

Steve looked down at his hands before meeting her stare directly. He clearly knew exactly what she was talking about, judging by the pain in his eyes. “I don’t know what to tell you, Wanda. That’s part of the reason I avoided you after everyone came back. At first, we talked about trying to bring him back, but Bruce was shaken after his fight with the Hulk. Shuri was gone and we thought Tony was dead; he just didn’t think he could do it without them.” He paused at that, clearly lost in the memories of the aftermath of the first fight with Thanos.

Wanda wanted to urge him to continue. Now that the answers were so close, she needed to know. But she waited for him to go on. With a deep breath, he finally pressed on. “Then, we came back to New York. Everything was a mess and we were trying to put out as many fires as we could. When Tony came back a few weeks later, he wanted nothing to do with any of us, except Bruce. Eventually, Tony asked about Vision, and Bruce told him that the body was still in Wakanda. They argued a little bit about trying to bring him back, but Bruce wouldn’t do it. He retreated to his new lab and started working on his Hulk problem.”

Steve paused again. Wanda felt for what they had all suffered, she truly did, but something still didn’t sit right with her. “That explains why you didn’t try to bring him back immediately, but what about the next few years?” Steve looked away from her. She followed his gaze to where he was studying some children who were playing with a frisbee nearby.

“I was a coward. I couldn’t face the constant reminder of all the people we lost. I guess I was relieved when Tony and Bruce didn’t try to revive him. I left the Avengers to Nat and retreated into leading my group sessions. It just seemed more manageable trying to comfort people than trying to put the world back together. I failed, completely and utterly.”

Wanda felt torn between reassuring him that it must have been a difficult time and confirming that he was a terrible friend and a betrayal of his Captain America ideals. So she said nothing. The words stopped in her throat. She had worked so hard to move on over the last year and a half. When she finally accepted that Vision was not coming back ever, she renewed her efforts to move forward. Wanda built new relationships with her friends, did her best to mentor the younger would-be Avengers, and fought to rebuild the world. She did not think she would ever have room in her heart for romantic love again, but she had a rich life. Enduring this conversation revealed how fragile her healing was.

“I’m sorry, Wanda.”

Wanda still struggled to speak. She went through several quick meditation exercises that Stephen had shown while Steve sat silently by her side. After several minutes, she was finally able to get the words out. “I accept your apology for not talking to me, for just leaving to live your own alternate life, but I’m not the one you really owe an apology.”

Steve sighed. “I know.” He pulled out an envelope from his jacket pocket. “It doesn’t do much good now, but I wanted to go some way to make amends. This is a letter I wrote to Vision.” She accepted it with shaking hands.

“I’ll send it on to Shuri.” She considered that this would give her an excuse to travel to Wakanda to see Vision’s memorial. However, her careful façade of recovery was already compromised. She couldn’t think of going to see his grave right now. She had attempted to make her peace with him when she had visited Wakanda soon after she returned. She knew revisiting that wound would only make it bleed anew.

“Thank you.” They fell into a brief, contemplative silence until Steve cleared his throat. “Would it be alright if I stayed for dinner?”

Wanda brought out her most polite smile that Natasha had taught her for dealing with the press. “Of course.” She knew the others would want to see him. She tamped down her lingering negative feelings in the name of harmony.

When they arrived back at the mansion, Bucky hugged Steve and Carol clapped him on the shoulder. Dinner was spent with everyone talking over each other to explain their latest exploits. Bucky teased Steve about missing modern conveniences all those years. Carol compared basic training stories with him. Sam joked that Steve should take Bucky off his hands. Wanda excused herself as soon as she was able. Fortunately, they all let her go without complaint or question.

She spent the rest of the evening wrapped in a blanket in her room, despite the muggy late summer air. She listened to Vision’s favorite soft jazz to drown out the laughter from downstairs. Wanda decided that if she was going to wallow, which she had not allowed herself to do in months, she might as well do it properly. She pulled out a book that Vision had recommended to her from her drawer and enveloped herself in his sweater, one of his few pieces of actual clothing that she had stolen from him during one of their visits.

She let the tears pour down her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, catharsis! I don’t hold it against the team for not mentioning Vision. I hold it against the writers who ignored the actions the team likely would have at least attempted based on their attitudes in IW and earlier movies, but damn it, everyone will acknowledge how they failed Vision in my stories. 
> 
> This also turned a little angstier than I intended, but Wanda is going through a tough time. 
> 
> Only one chapter left in the first part! I’m excited to move on to the next part of the story.


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuri, Bruce, and Helen take the final steps to attempt to wake up Vision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moderation is not my strong suit, and this has been partially written for months. So here’s the third short and quick update within a few days.

Shuri stood in front of the palace with Okoye and several other Dora while she waited for Carol, Bruce, and Helen. She received a message confirming that the Quinjet had come through the forcefield and would be landing soon. When the plane touched down gently and the ramp lowered, Shuri stepped forward. Helen and Bruce supervised the unloading of the Cradle. Carol came up behind them.

“Is everything good?”

“I think so, Carol,” Helen replied. She followed the cradle anxiously as Shuri attached the anti-grav panels that would allow it to float smoothly to the lab.

“Then, you’ll have to put in a good word with Maria. She’ll never believe I managed to fly with so little turbulence.” They all chuckled, glad to have a moment of levity to break up their last few weeks of increasing stress.

“Will do, Cap,” joked Bruce. Carol saluted him. They all followed Shuri’s lead to the lab. Once she ensured everything was settled, Carol took her leave. Only the scientists remained. Shuri gave them a brief tour of her labs before they set to the final piece of their work. At least this time, they were not facing almost certain death as they struggled to bring Vision back.

Helen lovingly ran her fingers over the controls. Once she ensured that no recalibrations were needed after the trip, they were prepared to complete the repair of Vision’s physical body.

Shuri then brought them to Vision’s room. She watched as Bruce carefully removed the covers and picked up Vision’s body to lay him on the gurney that would take him into the lab where the Cradle was now set up. He bowed his head for a moment before he started pushing. Shuri and Helen stood to the side in respectful silence.

Once they reached the lab, Bruce connected the tubing that would infuse Stark’s modified nanocells into Vision’s vibranium body. If their calculations were correct, as they almost always were under normal circumstances, they should replicate Vision’s phasing ability from the Mind Stone.

After taking a final moment to check their calculations one more time, they all powered up the Cradle together. They considered waiting until the morning to begin, but now that they were so close they unanimously decided to start right then and there. The readout indicated that it would take at least ten hours before the process would be complete. Shuri urged Bruce and Helen to go to their rooms, that she could stay up and take the first shift in case something went wrong.

The first few hours of the process passed uneventfully. The seconds ticked down until the estimated completion time. Shuri attempted to read, but her attention was continually drawn to Vision’s vital signs and the other readouts.

Early in the morning, Helen joined her. She encouraged Shuri to get some sleep, so that she could be well-rested for the final stage. Shuri reluctantly accepted. She did not think that she would be able to sleep, but she barely remembered her head hitting her pillow.

***

When Shuri looked at her clock the next morning, she was shocked to find that it was already past nine o’clock. Vision was supposed to be awake at eight. She frowned. She was certain someone would wake her up if the process was complete.

She quickly dressed and went to the lab. Both Helen and Bruce were standing next to the Cradle, examining the vital signs. “News?”

Bruce sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing a hand over his face. “The countdown is stalled at four minutes and thirty-seven seconds. His vitals are all stable. Nothing seems wrong, but nothing’s moving forward either. We’re a bit lost.” They made room for Shuri to come closer. Everything was like they said.

Shuri pulled up the latest simulation. It revealed no problems. They brainstormed various possible problems and changed variable to see if they could replicate the stalled countdown. They finally realized that they needed a bit more power.

Bruce removed a mini arc reactor that he had brought from New York. He connected it to the Cradle. Vision’s fingers gave a brief twitch inside the Cradle, but nothing else happened. Bruce turned up the power a little more. The screen blinked out for a minute, and the scientists held their breath. When it blinked back on, it indicated that there were five hours left in the process. All other vitals held steady.

Shuri volunteered to take another shift, so that Bruce and Helen could get some rest. She promised to call them if anything changed. They nodded wearily and shuffled out.

Time passed slowly. Nothing unusual happened to the countdown. After a few hours had passed, Bruce and Helen rejoined her. There were a few abortive attempts at conversation to distract themselves, but in the end, they only silently watched the Cradle.

When there was only one hour left on the clock, Okoye came to the lab to ask for their help. Since the second Snap, along with reports of people gaining new powers, there were also strange illnesses. Today, it was one of the king’s council members who was affected. Shuri felt duty bound to help, and Bruce and Helen felt that there was nothing they could do to help Vision at the moment. The three of them followed Okoye down the hall, with a final instruction to the Dora guarding the door to listen for any changes within.

It took longer than expected to stabilize the elder. They hooked her up to machines to monitor her vital signs. Her breathing was still uneven, but her pulse was steadier. Shuri trusted the Wakandan doctors to manage her condition from there.

Shuri, Bruce, and Helen practically ran back to her lab. An hour and a half had passed already. “Did you hear anything?” Shuri asked the Dora.

“No, Princess.” Shuri frowned when the guard would not meet her eye. This was not how the Dora behaved. She put the question aside for another time and simply walked into her lab. Her heart stopped when she saw that the lid of the cradle was raised.

But it was empty. The three scientists looked at each other. They started to call Vision’s name, but there was no answer. When Shuri turned around, she noted that the Dora who was assigned to her lab was almost in tears. She was young and inexperienced. A place in the very heart of the palace was considered a safe posting for a new recruit. She fell to her knees in front of Shuri, holding the staff in front of her.

“I left my post, Princess. I am sorry. I will accept what ever punishment you deem fit.”

Shuri had suspected as such, but she had more pressing problems to consider. “Get up. The best way to apologize is to correct your mistakes. Call for help and begin a sweep of the nearby halls. Vision cannot have gone far. He is probably weak and confused right now.” The Dora collected herself and ran to do as she was asked.

Shuri, Helen, and Bruce discussed what to do next. It was Bruce who realized that Vision might have sought out the battlefield if he believe the fight against Thanos was still ongoing. Shuri called Okoye, and she agreed to bring a few of the Dora Milaje with her to search outside. Shuri and the other scientists agreed that they would wait patiently in the lab in case Vision returned.

The only thing left to do was to call Wanda. Shuri was prepared to defend her actions, and she did not regret anything except Vision’s disappearance. But she was not looking forward to this conversation.

***

Wanda stared at the hologram of Shuri’s face. “What do you mean you lost Vision?”

 

End of Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but the first chapter of the second part is partially written already.


End file.
